A weatherhead, also called a weathercap, service head, service entrance cap, or gooseneck (slang) is a

weatherproof ''Weatherproof'' is the debut EP by American hip hop artist Cage. It was released on Eastern Conference Records on July 29, 2003. It was released between his two collaboration albums with Camu Tao ( Nighthawks, 2002) and Tame One (Waterworld ...

service drop In electric power distribution, a service drop is an overhead electrical line running from a utility pole, to a customer's building or other premises. It is the point where electric utilities provide power to their customers.Carson Dunlop "Elec ...

entry point where overhead power or telephone wires enter a building, or where wires transition between overhead and underground cables. At a building the wires enter a

conduit Conduit may refer to: Engineering systems * Conduit (fluid conveyance), a pipe suitable for carrying either open-channel or pressurized liquids * Electrical conduit, a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables * Conduit curre ...

, a protective metal pipe, and the weatherhead is a waterproof cap on the end of the conduit that allows the wires to enter without letting in water. It is shaped like a

hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...

, with the surface where the wires enter facing down at an

angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two Ray (geometry), rays, called the ''Side (plane geometry), sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex (geometry), vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two ...

of at least 45°, to shield it from precipitation. A

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

ized

gasket Some seals and gaskets A gasket is a mechanical seal which fills the space between two or more mating surfaces, generally to prevent leakage from or into the joined objects while under compression. It is a deformable material that is used to c ...

makes for a tight

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

against the

wire Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm A wire is a flexible strand of metal. Wire is c ...

s. Before they enter the weatherhead, a ''drip loop'' is left in the

overhead wire An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipmen ...

s, which permits rain water that collects on the wires to drip off before reaching the weatherhead. A weatherhead termination is only used at low voltages (up to 600 volts), since higher distribution voltages require more insulation between conductors and metal enclosures. Higher-voltage connections are made through a

pothead A pothead is a type of insulated electrical terminal used for transitioning between overhead line and underground high-voltage cable or for connecting overhead wiring to equipment like transformers. Its name comes from the process of potting o ...

.Anthony J. Pansini. ''Guide to Electrical Power Distribution Systems'', The Fairmont Press, 2005. . page 138. Weatherheads are required by

electrical code {{Electrical Wiring Sidebar An electrical code is a set of regulations for the design and installation of electrical wiring in a building. The intention of a code is to provide standards to ensure electrical wiring systems that are safe for people ...

s or

building code A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permission ...

s. They are also used on

utility pole A utility pole is a column or post typically made out of wood used to support overhead power lines and various other public utilities, such as electrical cable, optical fiber, fiber optic cable, and related equipment such as Distribution transfor ...

s where overhead power lines enter a conduit to pass underground.

References

Electric power systems components {{Tech-stub